It’s that time of year again. No, not when I write my now seemingly annual article (sorry, I’ll try and get back to it!), but rather the time when clubs anxiously await their fate as to which division they’ll be competing in the following season. Why, though, does it always come to this?

A few weeks ago, I picked out Combined Counties League side Hanworth Villa to be the blog’s featured club in this season’s FA Vase. Unfortunately, The Villans only lasted one round after being chosen!

Herne Bay beat Hanworth Villa in the third round

They did make it to the third round, but were beaten by Herne Bay in a replay. The first game ended 2-2, but in the return game at Herne Bay, Villa lost 3-1 after extra time. They had two men sent off earlier in the game, so to even get to extra time is an achievement. As a result, we at Under The League will now be following the Kent League side for as long as they remain in the competition, and so on in a kind of round robin system all the way to the final.

Herne Bay, nicknamed The Bay, will now face a long trip to Tyneside in the fourth round where they will play Newcastle Benfield of the Northern League Division One. They beat Deeping Rangers 3-1 in the third round. The game will take place on Saturday, January 21st.

There will, of course, be an update on how they get on in the northeast.